Wrench



(No Model.)

. l WRENCH.

D. A. CHENEY.

PatentedApr. 27, 1897.

67' b? [HummImmnmmllmi jwuentoz Ntra DANIEL A. CHENEY, OF CENTRAL PARK, MONTANA.

WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,267, dated April 27,1897.

Application tiled March 19| 1896.

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that l, DANIEL A. CHENEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Central Park, in the county of Gallatin, in the State of Montana7 have invented a new and useful Vrench, of which the following is a correct description.

The invention relates generally to that class of Wrenches which have a iXed holding-jaw at the outer extremity of the body or handle of the Wrench and a movable holding-jaw which is slidable, by a central perforation or passage, upon the handle or body of the wrench; and it relates particularly to that class of slidable-jaw Wrenches in which the top or upper surface of the handle or body of the Wrench has a transversely roughened or ridged engaging surface and in which the slidable-jaw section has a correspondingly roughened or ridged engaging surface, and a pivoted camlever which is operated to produce or to discontinue engagement of the slidable-jaw section with the body or handle section of the Wrench.

A leading object of the invention is to produce at a moderate cost a Wrench in which a slidable-jaw section shall be brought quickly into engagement With the body or handle section and as quickly disengaged therefrom when engagement is no longer desired; and a further object is to provide in a slidablejaW Wrench a means whereby the engaging member of the slidable-jaw section shall be moved and automatically held out of engagement with the body or handle section, so that the slidable section may be moved to and fro upon the handle section Without causing abrasion ofthe transversely-extending roughened engaging surfaces upon either section.

The invention consists in a novel combination of the engaging portion of the slidablejaW section of a Wrench with the engaging portion of the handle thereof.

The invention consists also in a novel combination,with the body or handle of a Wrench, of an engaging block Within the body of the slidablejaw section, whereby When the engaging parts are not in engagement to lock the slidable jaw in position upon the handle or body such slidable-jaw section may be moved to and fro along the body or handle of the Wrench Without contact, and consequently Serial No. 583,898. (No model.)

Without abrasion, of either of the engaging or interlocking surfaces.

The invention consists, further, in various novel parts or combinations of parts in a Wrench, as Will irst be described with particular reference to its details of construction, and then specifically and distinctly summarized in the paragraphs which succeed such detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, which con-` stitute a part of this specification, Figure l represents a side elevation, partly in longitudinal vertical section, of a Wrench in which my improvements are embodied, the camlever being shown in its depressed position, as when maintaining the grooved or serrated block in engagement With the correspondingly grooved or serrated surface of the handle or body of the Wrench. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the slidable section det-ached, the pivoted cam-lever and the serrated engaging block being in their elevated or disengaged position. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the slidable section, the cam-lever or depressing-arm having been removed. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the slidable section, the cam-lever or depressing-arm and the vertically adjustable engaging block having been-removed. Fig. 5 represents a rear elevation of the body or shell of the slidable section. Fig. 6 represents the vertically-movable engaging block detached. Fig. 7 represents the cam-lever detached.

The transversely-rectangular body or handle d, the terminal fixed holdingjaw a2, the detachable grasping section or handle proper, d3, and the transversely-grooved or rack surface d4, upon the upper surface of the shank or body a of the Wrench, are or may be of an ordinary construction. The slidable section b, the vertical sides b2 and b3 and the vertical ends b4 and b5 of which are by preference parallel to each other, has the terminal holding-jaw bj and the longitudinal passage or way h6, which is adapted to receive the rectangular portion of the body or handle a.

In the rear portion of the shell of the slidable section b and extending from the upper extremity to the bottom plate or Iioor hf thereof is provided a rectangular Well or Way bw, the lower and main portion or section hl of Which is occupied by the stem or shank of the IOO body a, the upper portion or section of which, between the parallel vertical bearings Z110 bw, is occupied by the cam-lever eZ, and the in termediate portion or chamber he of which is occupied by the movable and adjustable rackfaced engaging block in".

The shank or stem of the body a of the wrench is adapted to move freely within the longitudinal way il of the slidable section except when the rack-faces a4 and 127 of the two sections are in engagement.

rI`he engaging block Zn' is of such dimensions as to adapt it to fit snugly and accurately within the side walls of the intermediate section of the well or way hw, and it has at its rear a horizontal outwardly-projecting lug or handle blz', which in its inner portion is received in a rectangular notch or recess D0 between the two shoulders bs hs in the rear wall of the shell. IVhen the slidable sect-ion is separated from the body or handle of the wrench, the block br may, by its lug or handle 1271,., be inserted in its place, the movement being first longitudinally inward from the rear and then vertically upward until in its proper position its sides are snugly gripped by the walls of the shell.

Mounted upon the pivot-pin p, in its bearings bw Z910, the cam-lever CZ is operative, when moved to its depressed or horizontal position, to push the engaging block br downward for a short distance, to bring its transverselygrooved or rack face D? into engagement with the rack-face a4 of the body or handle u. When the cam-lever CZ is returned to its vertical position, the body or handle a is given a slight zigzag movement in a vertical plane in its passage or way b, acting alternately upon each extremity of the bottom surface of the engaging block and causing it to move upward to its original position of frictional engagement with the walls of its section of the rectangular well or way bw. It will thus be seen that the cam-lever is operated to move the engaging block into engagement with the handle or body and to maintain it in such engagement, and that when, by a reverse movement of the lever, the engaging block has been released the handle itself is employed to move the block out of its engagelnent with the rack-face of the handle and to return it toits frictional engagement within the walls of the shell ofthe slidable section, in which position, as will be apparent, either of the two sections may be moved back and forth, one upon or within or along the other, without bringing the rack-surfaces into contact, and consequently without producing abrasion of such surfaces.

In the drawings the parts are represented as drawn to their natural or working scale, and it will be seen that the extent of movement of the engaging block or from its point of greatest depression to its point of greatest elevation is less than one-eighth of one inch, a distance so short that the change in adjustment may be effected in the briefest possible period of time.

The invention having been thus fully described, what is claimed isl. In a wrench, the combination of a rackfaced body or handle and a slidable section which loosely receives the body or handle, which is provided above the plane of the handle with a vertically-movable rack-faced block which is inclosed and normally held in frictional engagement within the shell of such slidable section, and which receives also a pivoted cam-lever upon the rack-faced block, the cam-lever being operated to depress the block into engagement with the body orhandle, and to release it therefrom, and the body or handle being operated, upon such release, to elevate the block above the plane of the rack-face upon the body, and thereby to permit the parts to be moved, one upon the other, without causing contact of the respective rack-faces.

2. A wrench which embraces a handle or body section which has a terminal holdingjaw, and a top rack-face; and a slidable section which is received upon the handle or body section and which is provided with a vertically-movable rack-faced block which is frictionally supported within the section, and with a surmounting pivoted cam-lever; the cam-lever being adapted to move the rackfaced block downward from its .frictionallyheld position, and the handle or body section being adapted to move the rack-faced block upward and to return it toits frictionallysupported position; and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whcreotl I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DANIEL A. CHENEY.

IVLneSseS:

JOHN T. IlflcLnLLAN, CLYDn CORBLY.

IOO 

